Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate an understanding of how and why history became a modern academic discipline, and identify the main features of professional historiography.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between academic history and other ways of interpreting and using the past.
3. Evaluate historical writings utilized for other module in the degree scheme in a broader context.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of major trends in the study of history over time, and the influences of specific historians and schools of history.
5. Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on a range of evidence and use this to produce an effective argument.

Brief description

The discipline of history has been subject to a constant ebb and flow, with various ideologies, approaches and methodologies developing amongst researchers and authors. Within this module, the aim is to examine such changes and developments within the discipline through considering a number of specific examples. Various schools of history which became influential at different times will be considered, along with the impact of some seminal texts which have changed how historians have approached particular subjects.

Aims

This module seeks to set modern academic history in its intellectual and social context. It encourages students to consider how historians go about the work of researching and writing history, providing a foundation for their work in other more period specific modules.
This module aims to:
1. Provide all single honours students with a core module which will make them reflect on the way history is researched and produced.
2. Supply students with an awareness of the broader context of the discipline which they are studying.
3. Encourage students to apply the awareness gained in this module to inform the rest of their studies in history.

Content

Lectures
This module includes 20 lectures; these will be linked to three themes. The first 10 lectures will focus on historical paradigms. This section of the module will introduce the concept of historical paradigms before discussing the statist paradigm and the challenges that were posed to this way of thinking about history in the twentieth century e.g. the Annales school of history and post-modernism. The second section of the module will consider various methodologies and approaches within the broader field of history such as archives and oral history. Finally, the module will outline interdisciplinary approaches to history and consider the way that history has engaged with other disciplines such as anthropology and international relations.
In addition, there will be 6 hours of seminars. Students will be able to choose from at least five different seminar groups that will deal with a particular key text and explore its impact on a particular historical case study.

Seminars
At least five seminar groups will be offered that deal with a key text and explore its impact on a particular historical case study.

Module Skills

Skills Type

Skills details

Application of Number

Communication

Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed

Improving own Learning and Performance

Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework.

Information Technology

Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed.

Personal Development and Career planning

Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths.

Problem solving

Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays.

Research skills

Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination

Subject Specific Skills

Students will develop an awareness of how historians, professional and otherwise, have approached the discipline in the past, which should inform the reading they undertake for other modules.

Team work

Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities.